,,ii  #aafth ,,congress  #ast ,session  
,s4 #acaj  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of     
,,the ,,united ,,states  ,may #b1       
#bjai,mr4 ,cardin 7for himself1 ,mr4    
,wicker1 and ,mr4 ,kaine7 introduced the
 following bill2 which was read twice   
and referred to the ,committee on       
,foreign ,relations  ,a ,,bill  ,to     
strengthen the participation of elected 
national legislators in the activities  
of the ,organization of ,american       
,states and reaffirm ,united ,states    
support for ,organization of ,american  
,states human rights and anti-corruption
 initiatives1 and for other purposes4   
#a4 ,short title ,this ,act may be cited
 as the ,organization of ,american      
,states ,legislative ,engagement ,act of
 #bjai4  #b4 ,findings ,congress makes  
the following findings3 7#a7 ,the       
,charter of the ,organization of        
,american ,states establishes that      
representative democracy is an          
indispensable condition for the         
stability1 peace and development of the 

region4  7#b7 ,article #b of the        
,inter-,american ,democratic ,charter of
 the ,organization of ,american ,states 
affirms that the effective exercise of  
representative democracy is the basis   
for the rule of law and of the          
constitutional regimes of the member    
states of the ,organization of ,american
 ,states4  7#c7 ,article #bf of the     
,inter-,american ,democratic ,charter   
states that the ,,oas will continue to  
carry out programs and activities       
designed to promote democratic          
principles and practices and strengthen 
a democratic culture in the ,hemisphere4
  7#d7 ,in accordance with the ,,oas    
,charter and the ,inter-,american       
,democratic ,charter1 the ,,oas ,general
 ,assembly1 ,,oas ,permanent ,council1  
and ,,oas ,secretariat have established 
a wide range of cooperative agreements  
with domestic and international         
organizations1 including national       
legislative institutions4  7#e7 ,in     
#bjjd1 ,,oas ,general ,assembly         

,resolution #bjdd 7,,xxxiv-,o_/#jd7     
appealed for the strengthening of       
legislatures1 as well as                
inter-parliamentary cooperation on key  
items of the inter-,american agenda1    
with a view1 in particular1 to          
generating initiatives to fight         
corruption1 poverty1 inequality1 and    
social exclusion4  7#f7 ,in #bjje1 ,,oas
 ,general ,assembly ,resolution #bjie   
7,,xxxv-,o_/#je7 called on the ,,oas    
,secretariat to invite ''' the          
presidents or speakers of the national  
legislative institutions of the         
,americas1 i4e41 congresses1            
parliaments1 or national assemblies1 '''
 to attend a special meeting of the     
,permanent ,council ''' for the         
initiation of a dialogue on topics on   
the hemispheric agenda4  7#g7 ,in #bjad 
and #bjae1 the ,,oas ,secretariat       
expanded its engagement with elected    
national legislators from ,,oas member  
states by convening two meetings of     
presidents of national legislatures1    

first in ,lima1 ,peru and subsequently  
in ,santiago1 ,chile4  7#h7 ,however1 no
 formal1 permanent procedures exist to  
facilitate the participation of elected 
national legislators from ,,oas member  
states in ,,oas activities4  7#i7 ,the  
,organization for ,security and         
,co-operation in ,europe 7,,osce7       
,parliamentary ,assembly has proven     
successful at strengthening             
inter-parliamentary cooperation among   
its member states4  #c4 ,sense of       
,congress ,it is that sense of ,congress
 that-- 7#a7 elected national           
legislators play an essential role in   
the exercise of representative democracy
 in the ,americas1 including-- 7,a7     
promoting the rule of law and combating 
corruption2  7,b7 defending human rights
 and fundamental freedoms2 and  7,c7    
advancing the principles and practices  
expressed in the ,charter of the        
,organization of ,american ,states1 the 
,american ,declaration on the ,rights   
and ,duties of ,man1 and the            

,inter-,american ,democratic ,charter2  
7#b7 establishing procedures and formal 
mechanisms to facilitate and formalize  
the participation of elected national   
legislators from ,,oas member states in 
,,oas activities would contribute to the
 promotion of democratic principles and 
practices and strengthen a democratic   
culture in the ,western ,hemisphere2    
7#c7 increasing and strengthening the   
participation of elected national       
legislators from ,,oas member states in 
,,oas activities would advance the      
principles and proposals expressed in   
section #d of the ,organization of      
,american ,states ,revitalization and   
,reform ,act of #bjac 7,public ,law     
#aac-da2 #abg ,stat4 #edi72  7#d7 the   
,,oas ,general ,assembly1 ,,oas         
,permanent ,council1 and ,,oas          
,secretariat should take all necessary  
steps to ensure greater participation of
 elected national legislators from ,,oas
 member states in ,,oas activities2     
7#e7 the ,,oas ,permanent ,council      

resolutions titled ,guidelines for the  
,participation of ,civil ,society in    
,,oas ,activities and ,strategies for   
,increasing and ,strengthening          
,participation by ,civil ,society       
,organizations in ,,oas ,activities     
should serve as important references for
 efforts to bolster the participation of
 elected national legislators from ,,oas
 member states in ,,oas activities2 and 
7#f7 the successful experience of the   
,organization for ,security and         
,co-operation in ,europe ,parliamentary 
,assembly should serve as a model to the
 ,,oas in creating a similar mechanism4 
#d4 ,strengthening participation of     
legislators at the ,,oas  7a7 ,in       
general ,the ,secretary of ,state1      
acting through the ,united ,states      
,mission to the ,organization of        
,american ,states1 shall take all       
necessary steps to establish formal     
procedures for the ,organization of     
,american ,states that-- 7#a7 increase  
the participation of elected national   

legislators from ,,oas member state     
countries in ,,oas activities1          
specifically including activities that  
advance the principles of the           
,inter-,american ,democratic ,charter2  
7#b7 create an annual forum for the     
presidents of national legislatures from
 ,,oas member states to discuss issues  
of hemispheric importance1 including    
regional efforts to combat corruption   
and defend human rights2  7#c7 permit   
elected national legislators from ,,oas 
member states to make presentations1    
contribute information1 and provide     
expert advice1 as appropriate1 to the   
,,oas ,secretariat1 ,,oas ,permanent    
,council1 and ,,oas ,general ,assembly2 
7#d7 leads to the creation of a         
formalized body or mechanism to         
permanently facilitate the participation
 of national legislators in ,,oas       
activities2 and  7#e7 strengthen ,,oas  
,secretariat programs that provide      
technical assistance for the            
modernization and institutional         

consolidation of national legislatures  
from ,,oas member states4  7b7          
,diplomatic engagement and coordination 
,the ,secretary of ,state1 as           
appropriate1 shall carry out diplomatic 
engagement to secure political and      
financial support for the establishment 
of the procedures set forth in          
subsection 7a74  7c7 ,progress report   
,not later than one year after the date 
of the enactment of this ,act1 the      
,secretary of ,state shall submit to the
 ,committee on ,foreign ,relations of   
the ,senate and the ,committee on       
,foreign ,affairs of the ,house of      
,representatives a report on ,,oas      
processes1 initiatives1 and reforms     
undertaken to implement this section4   
#e4 ,support for ,,oas human rights and 
anti-corruption initiatives  7a7 ,sense 
of ,congress ,it is the sense of        
,congress that-- 7#a7 the ,organization 
of ,american ,states' ,inter-,american  
,commission on ,human ,rights is the    
preeminent institution for defending    

human rights in the ,americas2  7#b7 the
 ,united ,states should take all        
necessary steps to support and          
strengthen the role of the              
,inter-,american ,commission on ,human  
,rights and its work in the ,americas2  
7#c7 the efforts of the ,,oas ,secretary
 ,general and ,secretariat to combat    
corruption and impunity in the ,americas
 represent important contributions to   
strengthening the rule of law and       
democratic governance in the ,americas2 
and  7#d7 the ,united ,states should    
support efforts to ensure the           
effectiveness and independence of ,,oas 
initiatives to combat corruption and    
impunity in the ,americas4  7b7         
,anti-,corruption and human rights      
promotion strategy ,not later than #ahj 
days after the date of the enactment of 
the ,act1 the ,secretary of ,state shall
 submit to the ,committee on ,foreign   
,relations of the ,senate and the       
,committee on ,foreign ,affairs of the  
,house of ,representatives a strategy   

for supporting ,,oas anti-corruption and
 human rights promotion efforts1        
including-- 7#a7 an assessment of       
,united ,states programs1 activities1   
and initiatives with the ,,oas to       
support anti-corruption and human rights
 promotion in the ,americas2  7#b7 a    
summary of steps taken by the ,united   
,states ,mission to the ,,oas to        
strengthen the role of the              
,inter-,american ,commission on ,human  
,rights1 and to support anti-corruption 
and anti-impunity efforts in the        
,americas2  7#c7 an assessment of       
necessary reforms and initiatives to    
prioritize and reinforce the ,,oas      
,secretary ,general and ,secretariat's  
efforts to advance human rights and     
combat corruption and impunity in the   
,americas2  7#d7 a detailed strategy to 
facilitate increased ,,oas              
collaboration1 as appropriate1 with     
relevant stakeholders1 including        
legislators and civil society1 in       
support of a multi-sectoral approach to 

anti-corruption1 anti-impunity1 and     
human rights promotion efforts in the   
,americas2 and  7#e7 a detailed plan for
 implementing the strategy set forth in 
this section of the ,act4  7c7 ,annual  
report ,general4--,not later than one   
year after the date of the enactment of 
this ,act1 and annually thereafter1 the 
,secretary of ,state shall submit to the
 ,committee on ,foreign ,relations of   
the ,senate and the ,committee on       
,foreign ,affairs of the ,house of      
,representatives a report on actions    
taken to implement the strategy mandated
 under subsection 7b74 ,the report shall
 include-- 7#a7 an analysis of the      
progress made by the ,,oas to adopt and 
effectively implement reforms and       
initiatives to advance human rights and 
combat corruption and impunity in the   
,americas2 and  7#b7 a detailed         
assessment of ,,oas efforts to increase 
multi-sectoral stakeholder engagement to
 advance human rights and combat        
corruption and impunity in the          

,americas4